Abstract
This brief essay considers how the bodies of workers—women and LGBTQ folks in particular—are regularly sites of contestation and violence. The result of the 2024 election cycle—the election of Donald Trump as president, the Republican Party dominating Congress, and a cabinet filled with people who have either engaged in sexual violence or willingly dismissed claims of sexual violence – decreases the ability of women and LGBTQ workers to respond to and demand actions against those perpetrating workplace violence. The body as a site of contestation is not a new concept. Labor historians have explored in depth how the bodies of all workers—enslaved, indentured, imprisoned, and employed—have been exploited to build capital and political power. In a cabinet that is riddled with people who have either perpetrated or allowed sexual violence to happen, what protections can workers expect from the government when they face sexual violence or discrimination in the workplace?
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